Timing device for laundry machines



March 29, 1932. AA L BAUSMAN 1,851,484

TIMING DEVICE FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES yA TTORNEYS.

March 29, 1932. A. L.. BAUSMAN 1,851,484

TIMING DEIICE FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Nov. 23, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 T IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

March 29, 1932.

A. 1 BAUSMAN 1,851,484

TIMING DEVICE FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Nov. 23, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

BY W A TToRNEYs.

APatented-Mar. 29, 1932 l UNITED STAT-ss PATENr or-Flcs Q Lomo moet asustar. orsrnmarimm, mmcmzsm'rs spinte nmcn ron mummy n .ajpueauon alga November sa, im. semi no. masas.

This invention relates to timin devices for presses, and will be described wi partlcular reference to a timing device designed for a laundry press. One object of the invention l is to provide a timing device which will be simple in construction and reliable 1n operation. Another object is .to provide a timing device capable of ready and accurate ad]1 1st ment. Another object is to provide a tuning device having a double movement, an ad] ustable timed motion which ispreferably entlrely completed prior 'to the commencement of actuation of the mechanism controlled by the timer, and an unvarying motion not affected l5 by the ad'ustment and serving to actuate the controlle mechanism.

In the particular adaptation shown, the timing devlce operates by mechanlcal contact with the control lever of a press operating valve. When contact has been established, it is desirable to mov" the valve as quickly as ible, and preferably always wlth a uni` orm rate. Before contact is established, the rate of movement ofthe timer can be varied without affecting the 'actuation of the control valve, and it is desirable for this reason to concentrate the variable element of the timmg in this eriod. s

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, 1n

which::

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a laundryl press4 embodying m invention; v Fig. 2 is a 'agrammatic representation of 5 the main ress operatingmotor, the tlnnng device, an the necessary piping connectlons Fig. 3.,.is'a sectional elevation, on an enlarged/scale, of the timingd'evice;

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating one stage of operation; p v

Fig. 5 is a similardiagam lllustratmg another stage of operation; and y Fig. 6 is a detail of a valve control.Y

The press upon which I have illustrated 45 my invention is shown as mounted upon a frame 10 which directly supports a buck 11.- rIfhe -frame is also formed to carry a pivot 12, upon which lev'er 13 osxzillates.` On the forward end of'this lever is mounted the up 'r press head 14, which may be swung 1 nto e1 er the open position shown in full lines in Fig.

1 or the pressing position shown in dotted lines. At the rearY end of the lever pivoted at 15 a link 16, preferably having a turn-'- buckle 17 arranged intermediate its length to u permit of adjustment. Pivoted at 18 to the lower end of link 16 is a second link 19, swinging at 20 upon the frame and formin atoggle with link 16 for the application o? power to the press head. The press is arranged to ao be closed by power and opened by the action of a counterweight. A link 21 is pivoted at 15 to the lever 13 and at 23 to the counterwei ht 24which is swung at 25 on the frame. t

T e driving power for closing the prem is 68 in the case shown derived from a Ypneumatic motor. A cylinder 26 is pivoted at 27 to the frame and carries a bar 28 slidin in a bearing 29 carried by the link 19. A piston rod 30 passes into the end of the cylinder opposite 76` the pivot 27. At one end this rod is ivoted at 31 to the link 19 and at the other ears-a` piston 32 running in the cylinder 26. Surrounding the piston rod, and also passing through the end of the cylinder, is a sleeve 33 75 bearing a, stop piston, 34 within the cylinder and a travel limiting collar 35 outside it. The operation of these parts will be best understood after the piping connections to the cylinder have been considered.

A pipe 36 comes from any suitable source of compressed air, and is divided by a pressurereducing valve 37 from a low pressure line 38. In this low pressure line is a normally closed hand-operated valve 39 (prefer 85 ably sprinclosed), and a generally similar but norma lyl open hand-operated va1ve'40.

A pipe 41 connects that portion of the low -pressure line between the two`valves with a passage in the cylinder pivot 27, a hole 42 90 .joining this passa e with the interior of the cylinder-behind t e piston 32. A pipe 43 joins the low pressure line, ata point beyond the 'normally open valve 40, with an intermediate port 44 in the cylinder. Beyond this 95 port a small vent 45 is arranged to rmit the escape of air. entrapped between t e pistons 32 and 34. A high pressure line 46 1s connected with the main supply 36 and has a branch 47 leading to a four port valve 48. l"

lThis valve is provided with passages 49-and 50, a vent 51, and a pi-pe 52 leading to the end of the cylinder behind the iston 34. The valve is also preferably joined through a check valve 53 to a combined high and lo w pressure line'54. When the 'valve 48 is 1n one position (shown in Fig. 2) the passage 49` v -in which the upper head is just short of pressing position. This motion is controlled by the two valves 39 and 40, one being arranged for actuation by each hand of the operator. Both hands belng necessarily engaged at a point remote from the press surfaces, all danger of the operator carelessly permitting a hand to become caught by the'press heads is removed. The function of valve 39 is of course to supply the cylinder with compressed air through pipe 41 and passage 42. Valve 40 has what may be termed a negative function. Being normally open, it will, if not closed manually,.permit the air from pipe 38 to passinto the cylinder through port`44, thus balancing out the effect of the air admitted through port 42 onvthe other side of the piston. When both valves are'actuated, air will enter the cylinder only through port 42 andpiston 32 will be moved in a direction to close the press. This motion will continue until the piston 32 strikes piston 34, which is held in its inner position by air under compression coming in through pipe 47, valve 48', and pipe52. When it is desired to apply final heavy pressure to the press, the valve 48 is shifted tovent the space between piston 34 and pi e 52, and at the same time to introduce air om pipe 47 through the pipe 54 to port 44, past which the piston 32 had traveled at this period of the machines operation. To return the press to inactive position, a vent valve is opened, either manually orby lthe timing device to bedescribed, allowing the air to the rear of piston 32 t'o escape through ports 42 and 44, preferably into a muflier 56.

-The valve l48 is operated by a handle 57 (Fi s. 1 and 6) located on the front of the mac ine and movable upwardly by hand to initiate the final heavy pressure. Valve 55l is operated by a handle 58 arranged so that it cannot be'moved downwardly to yent the cylinder without simultaneously moving the handle 57 down and therefore cutting off the supply of high pressure to the main cylinder and introducing it behind the 4'piston 34. This is conveniently accomplished by having the handles 57 and 58 rotatable about aligned axes and forming the handle 58 as a ood overlying the handle 57 during its movement downwardly. The handle 58 has rigidly connected Vto it a lever 59 by which it, and therefore the handle 57 also,.can be moved downwardly by the automatic timing mecha- I nism about to be described. Aspring 60 constantly urges the lever 59 and the handle 58 into the positions shown in Fig. l1 unless the lever is raised by the timing device or the handle is manually depressed.

The timing device comprises a motive means, shown as a' pneumatic cylinder 61, combined with a speed regulating means,

shown as a dash pot cylinder 62 containing a preferably viscous liquid such as oil. These two cylinders are conveniently arranged in axial alignment, and are separated by a partition wall 63. A piston rod 64 enters the cylinder 61, having at its end a contact member 65 for engagement with the lever 59, and

carries within the cylinder a piston 66. The rod also extends through the wall 63, preferably through a stuffing box, and into'the against the outer side of the clapper, and to permit flow of the oil when the piston moves in the opposite direction. i The clapper is limited in its movement away from the piston by a collar 69 secured to -therod 64.

Motion lis imparted in one direction to the piston 66, and consequently to the piston rod 64 and parts secured thereto, by compressed air under the control of a valve 70 (Fig. 2). This valve contains a pasage 71, by means of which a pipe 72 joined to one end of the cylinder 61 may be connected either to the supply line 46 or to a discharge pipe 73 leading to the muier 56'. yTo the handle 74 (Fig. 1) of this valve is; pivoted a rod 75 passlng through a hole 1n link 19 and bearing collars 76 and 77 which strike alternately against an abutment 78 on this link. The valve yis thus opened automati' the contactimember is moved 4in general atr a lower speed than when it is actually engaged in shifting the lever 59. The pre- .ferred mechanism for accomplishing this re- `multiple and small so as not to permit the piston packing to bulge into them. Pipes 79 and 80 are at the ends of the cylinder while pipe 81 is at an intermediate point separated from pipe 80 a distance slightly more than enough to completely shift the lever 59. Pipes 80 and 81 are connected by a bypass pipe 82, while pipes 79 and 81 are connected by a by-pass pipe 83 having in it a valve 84 conveniently of the needle valve type and serving to restrict the flow of liquid through the pipe 83 to any desired extent.

During the first or passive part of travel of the piston rod, before lthe contact member 65 has struck lever 59, the operation of the parts is as shown in Fig. 4, the dash pot liquidiowing through the by-pass system 81, 83, 79. The speed with which the liquid can ow, and consequently the speed ofthe piston-rod, can be controlled as desired by the valve 84. The by-pass system 80, 82, 81 is now inactive as both of its ports are on one side of the piston. When the piston passes pipe 81, a diiierent operation results. The by-pass system 81, 83, 79 has become inactive, as both ports are on the same side of the piston, but the system 80, 82, 81 has become operative (Fig. 5). There being no restriction in this latter system, a greater speed of the piston rod is permitted, and this speed will not be affected by any variation in the setting of the valve 84. It will be seen that the arrangement described will always give a rapid and positive action in shifting the control lever 59, while the slower passive part of the movement can be varied in time as desired without changing the duration or speed of the lever-shifting portion of the movement. The-contact member will be kept elevated until the valve is again turnedby the action of collar 76 to vent the cylinder 61, when vit will be pulled downwardly to its inactive position by suitable springs 85. During thisl ldownward movement, the clapper 68 will rise and permit the oil within cylinder 62' to flow upwardly through the holes in the piston 67, thus adding their check valve action to the by-passing action of the piping systems to permit a comparatively rapid descent of the contact member and a consequent rise of valve lever 58 under the influence of spring 60.

What I claim is:

l. In a laundry press having opposed relatively movable pressing members and power means for operating them, a manual control causing motion of the manual control a predetermined time after closing of the press, comprising a Contact device having a. control shifting movement and a preliminary timing movement, and means for varying the duration of the timing movement without varying the duration of the control shifting movement.

2. A laundry press comprising coacting press members movable towards and from each other, power means for exerting pressure between the members, a control member operable to cause release of the pressure between the members, a device having a lost motion connection with said control member for operating it, means automatically actuated at the closing of the press members for initiating the operation of said device, and retarding means operable during said period of lost motion onl to vary the length of time the press mem ers are maintained under pressure.

3. A laundry press comprising coacting press members movable towards and from each other, power means for exertmg pressure between the members, a control member operable to cause release of the pressure between the members, a device having a lost motion connection with said control member for operating it, means automatically actuated at the closing of the press members for initiating the operation of said device, a

device during its actuation of the control no member.

4. A laundry press comprisin coacting press members movable toward an from each other, power means for exerting pressure between the members, a control member operable to cause release of the pressure between the members, a pneumatic cylinder, a piston running therein and 'having a lost motionv connection with the control member, a

'valve for admitting compressed air to the cylinder, mechanism actuated automatically vupon the closing of the press members for opening the valve, and retarding means operable during the lost motion part of the stroke of the piston only to exert a timing action.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN.

operative to cause motion of the press to inactive position, and automatic means for 

